MAM

Sony consolidates its media biz, IPG's Initiative gains Rs 1.5 bn

MUMBAI: Sony India has consolidated the media duties of all its businesses under IPG Mediabrands? Initiative, giving the agency new businesses worth Rs 1.5 billion.

Initiative has snatched Sony?s mobile business media account away from OMD to take complete charge of the Japanese multinational?s Rs 3 billion media spend in India. The IPG agency was already media

servicing the other parts of Sony?s businesses.

IPG?s new responsibilities would include handling both media and digital duties of the brand, one of the biggest advertising spenders in the category.

"Sony Mobile spends around Rs 1.5 billion on media. So this is a good catch for Initiative," says a source close to the development.

The agency won the account following a closely fought pitch processover two months that saw all the big agencies in the fray, including Madison, Maxus, ZenithOptimedia, Carat and OMD.

The contest went to the last and final round with Initiative edging out Madison to win the AoR.

"It is a great new beginning for IPG Mediabrands India and we would like to thank Sony India for reposing their faith in the team,? says Shashi Sinha, the new CEO of IPG Mediabrands India.

For Lodestar UM chief operating officer Anamika Mehta, the "massive win" is a "proud and happy moment" for her team. "This will be a game changer as we leverage IPG Mediabrands scale and market clout. We look forward to some path-breaking work with Sony in times ahead," she says.